What's The Deal with the DockATot?
If you've had to make a baby registry in the last couple years, there's no way you could miss the DockATot. It's everywhere you look and seems to…
I received the DockATot compliments of the company
If you've had to make a baby registry in the last couple years, there's no way you could miss the DockATot. It's everywhere you look and seems to be the new most coveted baby product. Why, though? It doesn't seem like anything super groundbreaking, does it? Well, I honestly had some of the same thoughts. It's got to be overrated, right? Especially for the price...
Nope.
Guys, this thing is amazing.
(If you know me, you also know I never give my stamp of approval on this blog unless I wholeheartedly mean it. So this is my honest review of the DockATot).
When you're looking for items to add to your registry, of course you need to find products that give you the ability to safely put your little one down. Whether it's for them to take a nap, for you to rest your arms, or just a place they can be alert and you don't need to worry about them rolling off a bed or couch. Even a place for some supervised tummy time. The DockATot hits all the marks. It is the primary place of sleep for our little guy. He loves it! We have another very popular product for setting baby down, and he'll choose the DockATot over that thing every time (and when I say "choose" I mean, he'll settle there far easier than the other product).
It comes in two sizes - The Deluxe (0-8 months) and Grand (9-36 months). It was designed in Sweden and is handmade in Europe. It has been tested for breathability and is OEKO-TEX certified. It can be used as a multi-functional lounger, co-sleeper, and playtime lounger.
The other big thing for me, when creating our registry, was finding products that weren't ugly as sin. If you read my minimalist modern registry post, you'll know that I tried to find the least "baby-ish" baby items I could find. I wanted products that were very useful and functional, but would fit into my home's aesthetic. This was honestly really hard (blah - so many ugly baby things!) but I think it ended up being a success in the end. The DockATot obviously fits into that requirement as well. However, for those who like patterns, it does have lots of options for covers.
When do we use it and how?
Day and night. I lay him down for naps in it and place it either on the couch in the living room, or on our bed. This allows me to get work done, and if I choose to nap when he's napping, I know I won't roll over onto him. We also use it at bedtime and it's where he sleeps. In the mornings, he wakes up very alert and happy, and we let him kick and flail in there while we talk to him and interact for a while. For tummy time, we gently rest his arms and head on the side, and let his body curl up in the rest of the DockATot while he practices holding that head up.
Would I recommend the DockATot?
Yes. 100%. Even my mom, who has her old school ways and tried-and-true mindset on the old versus new products, loved it. When she and my dad were here in the first couple of weeks, she used it constantly and talked about how useful it was. I thought that had some meaning!
I suppose it would depend on what you'd use it for, though. It's our go-to spot for setting him down, but if your baby prefers a bouncy seat or swing, perhaps those would be better for your particular child. We just happen to use it for so many functions that I would say it is worth its weight in gold :)
So that's the "deal" with the DockATot you keep hearing about. It's minimal, functional, and my four week old baby loves it (and clearly so do lots of other babies, considering how popular it has become!). There you have it. My honest review!
Comment below if you have any questions for me regarding the DockATot, or if you also have one and love it too!
Ottica: Eyewear Co. Review
This is an honest review in exchange for the products received courtesy of Ottica. All opinions are my own.
As posts like these often work, Ottica reached out to me to see if I had any interest in trying their online store and ordering a pair of glasses on them.
Well, the funny thing is the timing.
Tom had recently been to the eye doctor and had been searching high and low for new specs for weeks. He tried on a few Warby Parkers, and even ordered a pair from another retailer (but the prescription was off and he just returned them). I, too, had been on the hunt for a pair of sunglasses for our upcoming trip, when Ottica dropped into my inbox. Normally, I'd have probably politely passed them by, but the timing was too fateful, so I happily accepted their offer (and I'm glad I did).
Tom ordered a prescription pair of the Weston and I ordered a pair of Carolina Lemke CL 7336 sunglasses in leopard print.
Review:
About:
Ottica is an online prescription glasses retailer, and they carry some amazing brands like Tory Burch, Burberry, and Michael Kors.
They also have a comprehensive guarantee, and that's something I personally require when dealing with something as finicky as glasses and prescriptions. We actually ended up using their customer service, which I'll detail in a moment.
Ordering:
When ordering from a computer, we kept running into an additional $30 fee being added once we were about to checkout. It was for an option called "Prism" which you can check or uncheck, but we made sure it was unchecked multiple times. Without fail, it would repeatedly add $30 - It was infuriating. However, Tom finally figured out that it's actually a bug within a button (he's such a smarty pants). If you click the bottom "Update Cart" button, $30 will be added... BUT if you click the "Update Cart" button in the righthand sidebar, you'll have no additional fees. We ended up ordering from a phone which must be responsive to the sidebar button, because we had no issues there. But Tom figured out this bug while I wrote this review. (See the video below to see what I'm talking about)
Shipping:
I suppose we're used to Amazon Prime shipping, but it took about a week for one pair to reach us. Tom's glasses arrived quite a few days before my sunglasses, which I thought was odd since they were in the same order, but they were packaged beautifully and were clearly great quality. Free shipping is always a bonus, so no complaints :) Overall, they were worth the wait!
Customer Service/Exchanges:
Though we loved our frames, Tom's prescription seemed off (again!) so back he went to the eye doctor and had his Rx adjusted for the second time. We were able to send them back to Ottica easily, and they stuck with their guarantee to basically right any wrongs, but it took over two weeks for them to change out the lenses and send them back. Their customer service has been very responsive, though, and we really can't complain beyond the waiting period. In fact, a big thanks to them for their patience amidst Tom's annoying prescription hang-ups!
Overall thoughts:
Ottica has countless options for men's and women's frames, special lens additions, sunglasses, Rx sunglasses, and more. Plus, they have a neat little option to virtually try-on frames which was really helpful (unlike most virtual try-on programs - haha)! Everything was exactly as we would have expected, but the quality even better. With some things to keep in mind in terms of their website's bug, I really would recommend giving Ottica a try. The quality and customer service far outweigh any wait times, and I know I'd be happy to order from them again. Especially because of the amazing brands they carry!
Plus, doesn't Tom look dapper in those new specs?!
Thanks for giving me the opportunity to try and honestly review your unique, custom-crafted eyewear, Ottica!
Punderdome
Finding games that can suit varying groups or personalities can be hard. Not everyone appreciates the speed or thought process of card games. Word games use yet another part of the brain that not everyone can find enjoyable. And still others find mindless games of "war" or "Candyland" to be a small taste of hell (haha).
Tom and I can personally become ultra competitive when card or board games emerge at a party, and not everyone can handle smack-talk or smug winners/losers. When we discovered this nature in our personalities, we started to seek out games where all players unite or where personal opinions are welcome. When I read about the background of Punderdome and how it actually originated with a father-daughter duo in New York, I got a little more intrigued. They created this game, and its been a live pun competition in Brooklyn for several years.
Having tested it out with my parents over the weekend, I can honestly say it will soon be a game-shelf favorite. Others have compared it to the vibe of Cards Against Humanity and I would fully agree. Points or prizes are awarded based on a prompter's preference (like in CAH) and it creates a less competitive, more enjoyable atmosphere. Even the really awful puns at least elicit some laughs for dorkyness! The conversations it creates are downright funny and have players morphing phrases or words into hilarious concoctions. Here's a little overview on how it's played:
"A player (the prompter for that round) draws two prompt cards from the deck, and then reads the prompts to the rest of the group, who have 90 seconds to create a single, groan-worthy pun that combines the two prompts.
When time is up, pun makers share their puns with the prompter, who awards the prompt cards to the player whose pun he or she likes best. The winner then draws the next pair of prompt cards and the process repeats. Players win by obtaining 10 pairs of cards"
Above is a really bad example, but it helps you get the drift. Create a pun that somehow involves The Beatles and Banking. Penny Lane and Can't Buy Me Love are pretty easy, obvious choices, but they demonstrate it well.
I'm so excited to own this little game and am truly looking forward to pulling it out for dinner parties and ice breakers in the future! If anything, you can always laugh about how terrible you all are at trying to think of puns! Follow this link to learn more and see a video by one of the creators.
For the sake of transparency with my readers, I will always tell you when I've received something for a discounted price (or free) or could potentially receive a commission off a purchase made through one of my links. Thank you for understanding the benefits these sponsorships bring to your favorite bloggers!
I received this game from Blogging for Books for this honest review.